Jefferson City NAACP holds march for justice for Mike Brown

JEFFERSON CITY- The Jefferson City NAACP held a march for justice Monday night to demonstrate support for justice and human rights after the recent events in Ferguson.

The march started at Lincoln University. About 50 attendees lined up, said a prayer and listened to opening remarks before marching from the university to the state capitol building.

The Missouri Association for Social Welfare called on Missourians to join the march as a sign of solidarity, and members of the association showed up to march. Members of local chapters of national organizations, such as the National Organization for Women, and members of local social and faith-based organizations showed up to march and share their thoughts and beliefs on the issues in Ferguson.

Marchers said they came to show support for human rights and justice for all, as well as the people of Ferguson.

"We're here to accomplish, to make sure that we know that Ferguson knows that Jefferson City, Missouri supports Ferguson. We also support the freedom of speech and we also support the ending of racism," Kesha Nelson, who helped organize the march, said.

In a statement, the Jefferson City NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. said the organization's goals regarding the unrest are to insist greater oversight over the St. Louis County local government, put an end to racial profiling in Missouri, enforce a constitutionally guaranteed equal protection of laws, and promote a reduction of military-styled tactics in Ferguson, among other things. At the march, he said the issues present in Ferguson this past week are issues that apply to all of America.